Australia's Qantas Boosts Europe Flight as Demand Climbs Due to Mideast War
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 26, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 26, 2026
Add as preferred source on GooglePublished by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 26, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 26, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleQantas is adding more flights from Australia to Rome and Paris, redeploying Boeing 787s and reallocating A330s, to meet soaring demand as travellers avoid disrupted Middle East hubs such as Dubai and Doha due to the US‑Israel war on Iran.
March 26 (Reuters) - Australia's flag carrier Qantas Airways <QAN.AX said on Thursday it is adding flights to Rome and Paris to meet an upswing in demand for European routes, while global air travel remains severely disrupted after the Middle East war forced the closure of major hubs, including Dubai and Doha.
Here are some details:
The changes are enabled by redeploying some Boeing 787 aircraft from the carrier's U.S. routes and moving some A330 domestic flying onto international routes.
Qantas joins a string of carriers, including Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific that are upgrading its services to Europe to cater to a surge in demand.
The price of flights between Asia and Europe soared earlier this month after the closure of key Gulf hubs due to the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, as travellers looked to bypass the Middle Eastern airspace.
Flights between Perth and Rome will be upgraded to a daily service from four return flights per week.
Flights to Paris will increase to five return flights per week from three. The service will originate in Sydney and operate via Singapore rather than Perth, allowing an additional 60 passengers per flight.
Flights between Perth and Singapore will increase from daily to 10 per week.
Customers impacted by the schedule changes are being contacted and offered alternative flights within 24 hours of their original departure or a refund, Qantas added in its statement.
"The group continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East and its impact on fuel security, the price of fuel, and demand for travel, and will make further adjustments as required," Qantas said.
(Reporting by Nikita Maria Jino in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
Qantas is increasing flights to Rome and Paris to meet higher demand as travellers seek alternative routes due to the closure of key Middle East hubs.
Flights between Perth and Rome will become daily, Paris will have five weekly return flights from Sydney via Singapore, and Perth-Singapore flights increase to 10 per week.
The surge is due to airspace closures over the Middle East because of the war, forcing travellers to bypass traditional Gulf hubs like Dubai and Doha.
Qantas is redeploying Boeing 787 aircraft from U.S. routes and moving some A330 domestic planes to international flights to increase capacity on European routes.
Customers impacted by schedule changes are being offered alternative flights within 24 hours or a refund.
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